This invention relates to piston engines and particularly to an improved engine having secondary cylinders mounted on the cylinder head to produce combustion.
The prior art disclosed in a patent search includes U.S. Pat. No. 1,789,587 to C. F. Heywood which discloses an auxiliary starting means for an internal combustion engine rather than an integral cylinder arrangement involving secondary pistons. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,581,600 to R. P. Pescara, a free piston motor compressor of the single action motor system type is disclosed which shows a pair of opposed pistons concerned with variations in the amount of air delivered to the pistons. In contrast to the present invention, the patent discloses supercharging means, a blower, etc., in an arrangement and environment substantially different from that of the present invention.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,924,068 to C. V. Pereda, a further variation of the free piston engine hydraulic system is disclosed which is also not pertinent to the present invention aside from the fact that opposed pistons are utilized in an engine. The pistons, noticeably, move within the same cylinder walls. In Bayer U.S. Pat. No. 3,016,689 a free piston diesel cycle gasifier is shown which is designed to reduce the stroke of the engine during low load conditions. The patent to Bayer involves a complicated engine arrangement which is essentially dissimilar and incompatible with present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,119,230 to H. Kosoff discloses a free piston engine system designed to convert the output energy thereof to hydraulic pressure for operating hydraulic pressure driven apparatus. Another Kosoff U.S. Pat. No. 3,127,881 discloses a free piston engine wherein snychronization of pistons is achieved by a novel system of pneumatic control. Opposed pistons move within a single chamber in contradistinction to the invention disclosed herein. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,363,609 to J. Cadiou discloses a liquid fuel injection device for free piston internal combustion engines which is merely of general interest.
In summary, none of the above patents discloses the particular piston arrangement with secondary cylinders proposed by applicant to provide a more efficient engine. Specifically, applicant has dual opposed cylinders with separate compression chambers mounted side-by-side on the cylinder head which operates in synchronization with the main cylinder. Applicant is able to eliminate the conventional electrical ignition set-up with his secondary cylinders and provide greater efficiency and less pollution, both desired goals in todays times. Also, the present system is relatively simple and inexpensive to produce.